Others are already lining up to replace him. Party officials say they will announce the timetable for the leadership election by Monday. Speaking in front of Downing Street’s famous 10 door, the same place where many of his predecessors gave their own resignation speeches, Johnson announced he would step down — without actually saying the words out loud. “It is now clearly the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister,” Johnson said. “The process of choosing this new leader should start now,” he added, saying the timetable would be announced next week. In a sign that he plans to stay in office as long as possible, Johnson announced that he had appointed a new cabinet “to serve, as I shall, until there is a new leader.” The appointment of new ministers means the government can continue to function as it prepares to leave. Johnson spoke of his efforts to remain leader and how “painful” it is for him to step down, but did not address the scandals that have proven his political downfall. “Over the past few days, I have tried to convince my colleagues that it would be crazy to change governments when we have so much to offer … and when the economic landscape is so difficult domestically and internationally,” Johnson said. “I regret that I was not successful in these arguments, and of course, it is painful, not being able to see through so many ideas and projects myself,” he said, adding that he was proud that “Brexit is done” and “the West is leading to resist Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.” Johnson continued to address voters directly, expressing his regret at stepping down after nearly three years. “To you, the British public: I know there will be many people who will be relieved and, perhaps, quite a few disappointed,” he said. “And I want you to know how sad I am to leave the best job in the world, but these are the breaks.” Johnson in recent months has been mired in a series of scandals that have forced even his staunchest supporters to abandon him. The latest was Downing Street’s mishandling of the resignation of Johnson’s former deputy leader, Chris Pincher, who was accused of groping two men last week. Johnson initially tried to ride out the crisis — despite an unprecedented exodus of middle-ranking ministers from the government, a blow at Prime Minister’s Questions and a bruised appearance before a committee of senior MPs in Parliament. On Wednesday, he still insisted he was not going to resign. He finally gave in Thursday after some of his staunchest allies told him it was game over. UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Johnson had made the “right decision” to resign. “We need calm and unity now and continue to rule until a new leader is found,” he added. Greg Clark, the UK’s newly appointed Secretary of State for Uplift, Housing and Communities, said he had a “duty to ensure the country has a functioning government”. Opposition Labor leader Keir Starmer said it was “good news for the country” that Johnson had decided to step down, adding that it “should have happened a long time ago”. “He was always unfit for office. He was responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale,” Starmer said on Twitter. The opposition leader also had scathing words for the Conservatives. “They have been in power for 12 years. The damage they have done is profound. Twelve years of economic stagnation. Twelve years of declining public service. Twelve years of empty promises,” Starmer said. “Enough is enough. We don’t need to change the Tories at the top — we need a proper change of government. We need a new start for Britain.”
Timeline of Boris Johnson’s scandals
September 9, 2019
Suspends Parliament
Two months into his prime ministership, Boris Johnson is proroguing — or suspending — Parliament for five weeks ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline to leave the European Union. Opponents say it is an attempt to shut down the debate where Parliament can decide what kind of Brexit deal with the EU.
September 24
The Supreme Court rules that Johnson’s decision to prorogue Parliament was illegal and he is forced to apologize to the Queen.
April 21, 2021
Favors
The BBC leaked text messages from Johnson saying he would “correct” concerns about a change in the tax regime for inventor James Dyson’s staff who were in the UK to make ventilators during the Covid-19 pandemic.
November 2021
Johnson is pushing Conservative MPs to overturn the suspension of Owen Paterson, a fellow Conservative MP accused of breaching lobbying rules. The next day, after a backlash, Johnson did a U-turn and Patterson resigned.
December 7
A State Department whistleblower leaked emails suggesting Johnson may have lied about evacuating animals before people were desperate to escape the Taliban amid the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
December
Partygate
Allegations are emerging of illegal parties taking place in Downing Street amid lockdown. This was the beginning of the scandal that became known as ‘Partygate’. Johnson maintains that “all instructions were fully followed in No. 10.”
December 7
A leaked video shows a press briefing rehearsal with government adviser Allegra Stratton joking about illegal parties in Downing Street. Johnson denies any breach of lockdown rules. Allegra Stratton in the leaked video released by ITV News.
December 9
Renovations
The Electoral Commission fines Johnson for failing to declare where the funds to renovate his Downing Street home came from. Johnson faced corruption charges after WhatsApp messages were leaked showing Johnson soliciting money from a Conservative Party donor.
January 12
Johnson admits he attended a Downing Street party but thought it was a “Labour event”. This was seen as a farcical excuse and the reaction of the British public followed.
January 12, 2022
Contracts for friends
The High Court in London ruled that it was illegal for the Johnson government to have awarded contracts, without competition in 2020, to suppliers of personal protective equipment with political connections.
January 31st
Partygate continues
The first edition of Sue Gray’s report has been released. It details how Johnson broke the pandemic rules he set for the public.
April 12
Johnson and his chancellor are being fined by police for flouting lockdown rules by illegally partying in Downing Street. This is the first time a sitting prime minister has been fined for breaking the law.
May 25
Sue Gray’s full report is published with more details about illegal parties such as “red wine spilled on a wall”. Gray concludes that senior leadership must “take responsibility for this culture” that allowed such parties to take place. Boris Johnson raises a can of beer at his illegal birthday party in June 2020.
June 6
Party division
Johnson survives a confidence vote by a narrow margin, where only 59% of his party voted to keep him as party leader.
July 5th
Johnson apologizes for appointing Chris Pincher as deputy chief despite knowing about Pincher’s past sexual harassment allegations.
July 5th
Two senior cabinet ministers quit, citing a lack of confidence in Johnson, triggering a cascade of ministerial resignations over the next 36 hours.
July 7
Johnson announces that he is resigning as the leader of the Conservative Party. Source: CNN report, BBC, British Parliament Words, design and development: Sarah-Grace Mankarious and Marco Chacón, CNN
“Unnecessary Damage”
Conventionally, when a Conservative leader steps down, it gives the party time to hold a thorough leadership contest, in which Conservative lawmakers and then national party members vote. But some said Johnson should leave office sooner. “We now need a new leader as soon as possible,” Business and Energy Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said on Twitter. “Someone who can rebuild trust, heal the country and put in place a new, sensible and consistent economic approach to help families,” he added. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also called for the leadership issue to be resolved. “Will there be a widespread sense of relief that the chaos of the past few days (indeed months) will be over, although the idea of Boris Johnson remaining Prime Minister until the autumn seems far from ideal and certainly not sustainable?” Sturgeon said in a series of tweets. Conservative MP Steve Baker told CNN the party must “move quickly into a leadership contest”. Baker said Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab should be interim prime minister, but that Johnson could also continue in office. Raab has filled in for Johnson before: When the Prime Minister was in intensive care with Covid-19 in April 2020 and then again briefly last month when Johnson underwent “routine” surgery and was put under general anaesthetic. Raab said he would not be the next leader of the Conservative party, according to Britain’s PA news agency, which would make him a candidate for interim prime minister if Johnson quits early. “I am absolutely determined that we must not prolong this crisis. If it is agreed within the government that Boris Johnson should continue as a civil servant then that is fine…
